


Alumbramento

by seventeenwonders



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Auntie Azula, Azula being a good sister!!, F/F, Redeemed Azula
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:07:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26450863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seventeenwonders/pseuds/seventeenwonders
Summary: “My fire… used to be blue. It was fueled by rage and anger.” At that, Azula made blue flames dance between her fingers. “But your father… He saved me. Zuko believed in me when everyone else had lost faith, he trusted me and took me in, even after all my errors. One day… he showed me the true source of firebending; he took me to learn from the dragons. And I did learn, Izumi. I truly did.”ORThe five times Izumi made the most powerful firebender alive (also known as Auntie Azula) cry.
Relationships: Azula & Izumi (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 41
Kudos: 293
Collections: The Best of Avatar the Last Airbender





	1. Grief

**Author's Note:**

> Azula being the Coolest Aunt Ever™ is my favorite headcanon, so I had to write it.

The first she cried because of Izumi, anger and resentment corrupted her soul.

The former Fire Princess hadn’t felt like this in years – not since Zuko had rescued her from herself – but reading the paper on her hands all she could feel was a blinding fury. Azula incinerated the message while tears rolled down her cheeks, knowing exactly what to do next.

The firebender packed a few clothes, pulled her hair up in the traditional topknot and put on the impenetrable mask she always wore while visiting the capital of the Fire Nation. Azula had learned that not everyone at the palace was as forgiving as her brother, and she didn’t blame them (how could she, after all the mistakes made by the girl?), but she would never let them see that their words and stares pierced through her body like knives, a constant reminder of the biggest regrets in the princess’ life.

Every movement of hers was filled with rage, every step she took was with deadly precision, Azula felt the hatred fueling her blood and turning the flames she now played with between her fingers into blue. The ride from her house to the palace usually lasted about four hours, but she managed to get there in half of the time.

Before entering her old home, the familiar hate was replaced with a kind of anxiety Azula was not used to feeling. While looking at the red colors that covered the palace’s walls, she felt fear creeping into her, making her next steps hesitant. A few months ago, when the firebender established her home at a small city, northern to the capital, the former Crown Princess never thought she would find herself standing at the castle’s doors so soon.

Whenever Azula pictured her family encounters, the meetings always happened on neutral ground; maybe Zuko and Mai would visit her in the countryside or maybe they would all go to Ember Island together for a few days. She knew now that none of this would ever be possible, because Mai was dead and Azula was at the royal residence’s entry.

The few guards that were at the gates didn’t move to open them for Azula, but also didn’t stop her when she stepped forward and entered the mansion where all her nightmares took place. She marched through the corridors, ignoring the tingling feeling that always followed her the moment she stepped in that house. After a few minutes of searching, the woman finally located her brother. Zuko stood alone at the room he shares… _shared_ with Mai, looking out the tall window. Azula couldn’t see his face, but she knew from the way his shoulders were slumped that the Fire Lord was _defeated._

Azula entered the room and approached her brother as quietly as possible, putting a hand on his arm. Zuko turned to her and she finally saw his expression; the reddened eyes, the pale face, the black circles. If grief had a personification, it would be Zuko at that moment. He couldn’t even bring himself to feel surprised that his sister was there in such short notice and he didn’t have enough strength to keep himself from collapsing on her arms. Azula held him, like he had done with her many times before, swallowing her own tears; she had to be strong for him, it was the least she could do.

She didn’t know how long they stood there - Zuko’s sobs the only sounds to be heard - but she did know that two pieces of her soul died that day: one followed Mai into the Spirt World, the other was killed by Zuko’s insurmountable sorrow.

* * *

The second time she cried because of Izumi, guilt consumed her soul.

Azula had been living at the palace for the last six months, taking over most of Zuko’s responsibilities as Fire Lord. It was a tacit accord, no one officialized this, but everybody knew that Azula was the one in charge. Every step of the way, the former Fire Princess was afraid; afraid of the power corrupting her, afraid of breaking down, afraid of hurting Zuko. But her brother – the patient, forgiving and unconditionally loving Zuko – never doubted her, not even for a second. He always thanked her, making sure Azula knew how grateful he was for her presence there. If it wasn’t for his sister, Zuko wouldn’t have been able to take care of his six months old daughter the way he wanted to.

The Fire Lord knew, better than anyone, how hard and painful it was for Azula to be at the Capital. Their mother and Ikem still lived at the palace, and even though Azula had made a lot of progress, she couldn’t quite bring herself to forgive Ursa. When the former Crown Princess had bought a distant house, away from the royal residence, Zuko was well aware that their mother had a heavy impact on her decision; Azula wanted to be as far away as possible from all the hurt the prior Fire Lady had caused her. So being there and dining every night with Ursa, Ikem and sometimes Kiyi (when she came to visit from University) could not be easy on her, and Zuko was aware of that.

Although he was beyond grateful for her help, something was bothering him: Azula hadn’t connected with Izumi. Ever since she received the news that Mai was pregnant, Azula had been the happiest Zuko ever saw her; teasing him that his daughter would like her aunt much better than her dad. But… Azula never held her once, always finding some excuse to avoid her niece. He decided not to push it; everyone had different ways of grieving, Azula’s was ensuring him and the Fire Nation were alright after the loss of their Fire Lady and if that meant burying herself into work, then be it.

But one day, when the afternoon was especially slow and all her meetings had finished earlier, Azula was wandering through the palace when she heard a baby crying. She froze for a second, hoping someone would take care of her crying niece. Two minutes passed, then three, and that _damn_ baby didn’t stop screaming. Azula sighed, making her way into the new Princess’ room and picking her up, not knowing what to do.

“Agni, you’re really loud, do you know that?” That made Izumi cry louder. Azula was on the verge of putting the kid down and calling for help when she saw, at the nightstand, a picture of a pregnant Mai. It was like a punch in her gut; she had to try, for Mai. Her friend would’ve wished that Azula looked after Izumi.

So, Azula sat at the chair next to the crib and stared intensely at the whiny baby. She looked at her for so long and so deeply that Izumi actually stopped sobbing and stared back at her aunt, with wide, curious eyes. Azula _couldn’t_ believe that this was working, she barely blinked, afraid her niece would go back to screaming.

The firebender wasn’t sure how long they both just stared at each other, but Izumi finally got bored of her aunt and closed her eyes, going back to sleep. Azula sighed in relief, but the moment she got up to put the baby back on her crib, Izumi grabbed her blouse and didn’t let it go. “ _She’s strong. For a baby. I still could take her on a fight though, so no need to worry about that for now,”_ Azula thought as she was trying to make the baby let her go, but Izumi didn’t give up…. So Azula did. She sat back at the chair. “ _Oh well… I guess that fight might be harder than I anticipated, given the fact that I just surrendered to a six months old baby.”_ A quiet laugh escaped the former Princess’ lips at that thought.

Azula was still smiling to herself and her sleeping niece when she felt tears pricking in her eyes. The most powerful firebender alive wasn’t strong enough to hold them back, so she just let the tears roll down her face, putting her hand over her mouth to muffle the sobs. Azula didn’t realize until this moment, but she blamed Izumi for Mai’s death.

She blamed her baby niece for the fact that Zuko would forever be grieving and for the current responsibilities that fell in her lap; she blamed this innocent kid for things Izumi wasn’t even aware of. And still, even with all the resentment that Azula built towards her in the last months, Izumi didn’t hesitate to grab her clothes and unconsciously ask Azula to stay. The firebender felt so guilty, so guilty for neglecting the last part of Mai in this world; but even without asking for forgiveness, Izumi forgave Azula.

Later, Azula would learn that there was no mistake big enough to stop her niece from forgiving her.

* * *

The third time she cried because of Izumi, happiness fueled her soul.

Azula had gotten back to her house, but Zuko’s visits were frequent. Even with all his Fire Lord’s duties, he found time for his sister, always bringing Izumi with him. She was a year old now, and cuter than ever (although Azula would _never_ say this out loud). Zuko didn’t know why, but Izumi loved spending time with her aunt, even when all Azula’s ideas for a play date involved discussing battle strategies. 

He was doing the dishes (such a mundane task for the Fire Lord, but Azula had no servants, choosing to preserve her privacy) while hearing his sister talk to his daughter about the day she saw Mai using her knives for the first time, (“Oh, Zuzu, your mother was _perfect._ I hate to admit it, but even _I_ didn’t have such precision! Don’t _ever_ tell anyone I said that, otherwise I will practice my aim at _your_ head.” Izumi giggled at the threat.) when a strange sound came out of Azula’s mouth: a happy squeal.

“Zuko! Come here! Come here!”

The Fire Lord didn’t know exactly when it happened, but suddenly _he_ wasn’t _Zuzu_ anymore (that nickname was reserved exclusively for Izumi) and Azula had a new favorite family member. He tried to be jealous, but how could he, when two of his favorite girls in the world loved each other so much?

Finishing the dishes up, Zuko dried his hands and went into the living room, where Azula was sitting on the sofa with a marvelous look in her eyes. Izumi was on her lap, not paying much attention to her aunt’s wide smile, much more interested in playing with the topknot on Azula’s head.

Before Zuko could say anything, Azula whispered, in a trance.

“She said my name, Zuko. She said _my_ name!”

At that, he felt a sting of jealousy. Izumi had never said _his_ name.

“Are you sure? I mean, she never said a word before, so maybe you just heard… wrong?”

Azula rolled her eyes.

“Contrary to popular belief, I am _not_ crazy! And this might be fresh news to you, but the voices in my head have stopped a few years ago, actually.” The former Crown Princess’ brutal honesty, perfumed with sarcasm, never failed to make Zuko uncomfortable

“You know that’s not what I meant…” Zuko half started apologizing when Azula’s laugh interrupted him.

“Oh, Zuko, it’s always so easy to pick on you! Stop taking everything so seriously, for once in our -”

“Zuza!”

Azula’s sentence died in her throat. She looked at her niece, the same marvelous look from before filling her eyes, and then looked at an open-mouthed, perplexed Fire Lord. He kept glancing at Izumi and then Azula, not believing the first word his daughter had ever said. Zuko sat down next to Azula at the sofa in complete disbelief.

“She… said your name. And that was her first word.”

Zuko’s focus was entirely on Izumi, still shocked. His daughter had just said her first word, and it wasn’t “dada” or “Zuzu” (for Raava's sake, he would have even accepted “ _Fire Lord”_ ), instead, the first two coherent syllables to ever come out of Izumi’s mouth were Azula-related. Zuko couldn’t hide his jealousy, not even from himself. The Fire Lord was lost in thought when a familiar, yet strange, sound pulled him out of his reflections.

“Yeah.”

Azula spoke for the first time in several seconds and only then he remembered where he was and who he was with. The former Crown Princess’s voice was almost choked, overwhelmed with emotion and Zuko’s attention was diverted from Izumi to Azula. He glanced at his sister from the corner of his eyes and saw happy tears rolling down her cheeks. Zuko had never seen her like this, not in the twenty-four years they’ve known each other. Something broke inside of him at that moment: his jealousy. Again, how could he ever be jealous of Azula and Izumi when his sister loved her niece more than anything in this world?

Azula never admitted it to him – in fact, not to anybody (not even to herself!) – but Zuko had suspected for a couple of months that Izumi was the most important thing in the world for her, more important than life itself; the blissful tears coming out Azula’s eyes were the confirmation he needed.

That night (and in many more nights to come), Azula bragged till the first rays of the sun appeared on the horizon; Zuko pretended to be jealous, but inside, he was just glad that his sister and his daughter gave each other so many joyful memories. Zuko thought that Mai would be as grateful as he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Lemme know your thoughts! Oh, and I'm on twitter if you feel like crying over the fact we STILL DON'T HAVE AN AZULA REDEMPTION ARC with me @seventeenwonder


	2. Growing Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so, fun fact: “Alumbramento” means “divine breath/supernatural inspiration” in Portuguese (shout-out to all the Brazilian Azula apologists who might be reading this lol). Why am I telling you this? You’ll see. I guess.  
> CW: mentions of homophobia

The fourth time she cried because of Izumi, shame slipped out of her soul.

A decade went by since the night Izumi had said her first word, and a lot of things changed in Azula’s life. For starters, she wasn’t alone at her house anymore... Ty Lee had moved in a few years ago. The former Fire Nation Princess didn’t know exactly how it happened, but Ty Lee had kissed her one night after a gala at the Royal Palace and… the rest is history.

On a calm afternoon, they were both quietly sharing tea; Azula was reading a book she had found at the local market while Ty Lee rested her feet on the firebender’s lap. Over the months they’ve spent together, Azula had learned that she didn’t always need to fill the silence, and those little quiet moments she shared with her girlfriend were the most peaceful in her entire existence. But like everything else in her life, it didn’t last for long.

A messenger hawk came flying into their home, breaking the day’s serenity. Azula didn’t even need to get up to know whose message’s the poor bird was carrying, it was the third time this week the feathered creature had paid her and Ty Lee a visit.

Unfortunately, her girlfriend wasn’t as inclined to keep ignoring their niece as Azula was; Ty Lee’s soft heart would probably be the death of Azula. The former Kyoshi Warrior stood up, caressing the hawk before handing the small paper to her lover.

Azula took it out of Ty Lee’s hand with a loud groan, putting her cup of tea aside.

_Auntie Azula,_

_STOP PRETENDING YOU DIDN’T RECEIVE MY MESSAGES!!! Dad said I should drop this subject, so I’m currently having to sneak out of my room after bedtime to send you this piece of paper. And I’m doing this untrained. Alone. At night. A helpless little girl that could be murdered at any time! Pleaseeee, I’m your favorite niece! I’ll give you anything you want if you come to the Capital, I’ll even tell you the most embarrassing moments Uncle Sokka put dad through the last time he visited the palace and you weren’t here._

_With love,_

_Your defenseless niece._

Azula rolled her eyes so hard she was afraid her eyeballs would get stuck on the wrong side of her skull. She didn’t crumple the piece of paper, though, nor incinerated it – as the former Crown Princess did with most of the messages she received –, instead, Azula put the note inside of a drawer in her living room, on top of all the other letters Izumi had ever sent her.

Ty Lee observed the scene playing out before her with a smile on her lips. Approaching Azula, she hugged her from behind while resting her chin on the firebender’s shoulder.

“So… Did your niece finally convince you?” 

Azula sighed, putting her hands on the shelf in front of her.

“I made a promise, Ty Lee. A promise I’ve kept for more than 15 years now.” She turned to her girlfriend, pressing their foreheads together and closed her eyes. “I’m… afraid. Afraid of… becoming the person I once was.” That last bit came out as an unsure whisper.

Ty Lee took a step back, moving her hands from Azula’s waist to her cheeks. Holding the firebender’s face into her palms, she softly made Azula open her eyes. Staring at those golden irises, Ty Lee spoke, without a single doubt in her voice.

“You’re _never_ going back to being that girl again. You were a victim as much as you were a villain, and now you’re _neither,_ do you hear me? You’re brilliant and brave and strong and unbreakable and I love you.” She took a deep breath. “But on top of all of that, you’re _my_ hero. And you’re _Izumi’s_ hero. And she wants her hero to teach her how to firebend.”

Azula put her hands atop of Ty Lee’s, caressing them. She turned them over and kissed her lover’s fingertips, a silent thanks from her lips. The promise she had made almost two decades ago of never again using her firebending to fight needed to be adapted, for Izumi.

Letting go of her girlfriend’s fingers, Azula picked up a piece of paper. It was time to stop ghosting her niece.

\-----

“Higher!” Azula’s shout echoed through the gym at the Fire Nation palace. It’s been three weeks since she had temporally moved back in to the Royal Residence with Ty Lee. Zuko apologized for his daughter’s insistence, but deep down, he was not sorry at all (and Azula knew that). 

Right now, Izumi was kicking a punching bag with Sokka’s face drawn on it. In the last 15 years, Sokka was the member of Team Avatar Azula grew closer to. He and Suki, when visiting the Fire Nation, always made sure to drop by at hers and Ty Lee’s house for dinner. Azula saw him as one of her closest friends and she knew he thought the same of her.

So, there she was, encouraging her niece to kick Sokka’s nose.

“I am not tall enough, Zuza!” Izumi complained. “It’s been almost a month since you arrived and I didn’t bend one single flame, auntie. Shouldn’t I be able to spit fire by now?”

Azula let out an exasperated sigh, getting closer to Izumi. She sat down on the floor, legs crossed, and indicated Izumi to do the same. Izumi, a bit impatient, sat across her aunt, with a questioning look on her face.

“Fire is not like all the other elements.” The former Fire Princess started, and Izumi knew from the serious tone on her aunt’s voice that this conversation wouldn’t be like the other ones they usually had during practice. “It comes from within you, not from the outside; it is affected by your mind, your emotions, your beliefs, and your body. Don’t ever let Aang hear that, but fire is the most spiritual element of all.” Azula knew this day – the day she would have to tell Izumi about her past – would come, but that knowledge didn’t stop the nervousness from creeping in. “First, you must build up your body strength. You must feel confident in your own body, in your movements and techniques. That’s why we’ve been training your physical resistance for the past few weeks.”

She took a deep breath. Izumi sat quietly, not even blinking, afraid she might miss something her aunt had to say.

“I… was strong, when I was younger. I was the strongest in our group of friends; not even your dad could take me down. I was the prodigy, I had mastered the techniques and the moves, and I trusted my feet, my legs, and my hands.”

At that, Azula looked up, not wanting to face Izumi when she said the next part.

“I was strong enough to hit the Avatar in the Avatar State, and I was strong enough to break into the most impenetrable city of all. And that is the moment when your body and your beliefs intersect, the moment when you have to use your firebending for things that are bigger than you.”

She felt the tears forming in her eyes, but blinked them back, staring at Izumi.

“Before I teach you how to firebend, I need you to comprehend the responsibility you’re carrying. I need you to trust your body, but more than that, I need you to trust your heart. I need you to know my mistakes so you do not commit them, do you understand?”

Izumi swallowed, dryly. “Yes, Master.”

Then, she told her the whole story. Azula told her about Zuko’s scar and Katara’s discovery at the South Pole. She told Izumi about Toph, the first metalbender, and Sokka, the fearless warrior. She told Izumi about Aang and his pacifism and the choice he made by sparing her father’s life. Azula talked about Mai and her knives, she talked about Ty Lee and her chi-block, and finally, she talked about herself and her firebending.

“My fire… used to be blue. It was fueled by rage and anger.” At that, Azula made blue flames dance between her fingers. Izumi didn’t know if she was supposed to focus on her aunt’s face or her hands, and before she could ask, Azula extinguished the fire on her hands. “But your father… He saved me. Zuko believed in me when everyone else had lost faith, he trusted me and took me in, even after all my errors. One day… he showed me the true source of firebending; he took me to learn from the dragons. And I did learn, Zuzu. I truly did.”

A blinding light made Izumi cover her eyes for a few seconds, and when she opened them, Azula had produced a flame so white that the young Princess thought she was hallucinating. But the surprise didn’t end there. Azula blew the fire on her hands and, with the speed of lighting, it was everywhere, in all colors. The flames surrounded them both in more tones that Izumi could have ever imagined.

Suddenly, the heir to the throne saw it all: the pain and hurt in all the red coming out of her aunt's hands and mouth, the hatred and malice painted with deep blue, the guilt and regret in bright yellow. But she saw more than that; she saw the green, and the pink, and the purple. She saw the white breaking down and coming undone at Azula's expert touches and controlled breath; she saw her hero's entire life journey laid open in front of her. It was... magnificent. Not a single one of her books was inscribed with the kind of raw power and sophisticated skill her aunt displayed at the moment. It shouldn't be possible, no one should be able to firebend with so many contradictions, and yet, Azula did. No one should be able to live with such a violent internal war within themselves, but again, Azula did; so it was only fair that the most personal piece of her aunt's identity was equally impressive as her story. 

“Now, my fire has a different source. It comes from the forgiveness your father conceded me and the love Ty Lee has blessed me with, but especially, it comes from acceptance. I have fought my whole life, against my mother, against the Avatar, against myself. But now, I can finally forgive _me_ for all my past mistakes, and I’m hoping you can too, Zuzu.”

Izumi didn’t know what to say, mesmerized at everything she had heard and seen in the last minutes. She knew about the war and she knew that her aunt had not always been on the _right_ side, but she had never seen Azula in such a vulnerable state. So, she did the only thing she could: Izumi jumped right into her aunt’s arms.

“ _Of course_ I forgive you, auntie. Don't ever worry about that.”

Azula held Izumi close, astonished at how the love she felt for that little creature occupied all her soul. There was no more place for anger, resentment nor remorse. All the shame inside of Azula left her body just like the tears rolling down her cheeks were leaving her eyes.

* * *

The fifth time she cried because of Izumi, peace brightened her soul.

For the last four months, Azula had trained her niece in all kinds of fighting styles she knew. Even Ty Lee and Zuko were invited for their morning practices, so they each could teach Izumi what they had learned over the years. Ty Lee showed her some chi-block techniques while Zuko always punctuated his lessons with historical facts. One day, when Zuko's lesson was especially boring, Azula took him to the arena and demonstrated to Izumi how she could still kick the Fire Lord's ass. The former Crown Princess' little show-off earned her a cold dinner later that night (but it didn't matter, because Izumi's happy laugh stayed with her far longer than the unpleasant meal).

They didn't usually talk, but Ursa was there too. Ikem had passed away five years ago and since then, Azula tried her best to get along with her mom (or, at least, not resent her as much). Mother and daughter had found a stable ground, one in which they both could share their feelings about the past without Azula storming off the room. The firebender master and the former Fire Lady even strolled through the palace's gardens together once in a while, quietly. There was not much to be shared, everything either of them had to say was already said, but still... it was nice. 

The more she thought about it, the more Azula came to the conclusion that Izumi was the glue that kept their family together. And not only that; Izumi was the greatest balm used to heal even the deepest wounds, wounds that Azula once thought were terrible scars, but as it turns out, they could be as minor as a scraped knee when treated right. 

_"Enough with the icky feelings, today is a day too important for that."_ Azula said mentally to herself; she needed a clear head, a focused mind. 

Today was, indeed, an important day; Izumi would have her first duel against a true adversary. It wasn't exactly an Agni Kai, but it wasn't much different from one. A few selected girls from the Royal Academy were chosen to visit the palace and demonstrate their abilities to the Royal Family and one of them would battle Izumi. 

It wasn't like Azula as nervous - she _didn't_ get nervous - but poor Izumi was really anxious, so she had to keep calm for her niece. 

"Aunt, would you _stop_ fixing my hair? I am fine!" The eleven year old firebender disentangled herself from her aunt's hands. Azula was double-checking everything: Izumi's robe, her hair, her crown. (Okay, so _maybe_ the nervous Fire Nation Princess _wasn't_ Izumi.)

" _I know_ that you're fine, but there's just _one_ hair out of place, and if you'd let me-"

"Leave your niece alone, Azula. She's fine!" A smiling Ty Lee entered Izumi's bedroom, making her way to the dressing table Azula had practically locked Izumi in. 

"Thank you, Aunt Ty Lee. Can I leave now?" She asked the former Kyoshi Warrior. 

"Yup. I'm pretty sure the other girls are already here, go make some new friends." As soon as Ty Lee gave her permission to leave, Izumi jumped out of the chair, exiting her room a little _too_ excited. Azula watched the whole scene display before her eyes, powerless. 

"I can't believe you just sided with Izumi instead of me." She said to her girlfriend, pouting. Ty Lee laughed and hugged Azula. 

"You took our niece hostage _to fix her hair_ , what did you honestly expect?" 

"But I was right to do so! Her topknot was a mess." _That_ made Ty Lee laugh even harder than before. Azula gave her a cold look. "What? Do you think I was wrong?" 

Ty Lee took a deep breath and booped the firebender's nose. "Yeah, you were." She squeezed her girlfriend tighter before letting Azula go. "C'mon babe, we're gonna be late." And with that, she walked to the bedroom's doors. 

"Ty Lee, come back here! I am _never_ wrong."

_\----_

Azula tried, but there were none of her old masters to be recognized in the small party of the Royal Fire Academy For Girls entering the palace. She thought Zuko would have kept at least _one_ of the former teachers in the faculty, but apparently, ruthless teaching methods and undying love for the former imperialistic and genocidal actions taken by Ozai didn't have a place under the new Fire Lord's ruling (of course, Azula knew her brother was right, but still would've been nice to see at least one of her old professors! She used to be their star student, after all). 

The firebender master was seated on the right side of Zuko, with Ty Lee beside her. (Ursa was visiting Kiyi at Ba Sing Se, the younger girl decided to stay there after she finished her studies at the University.) They each occupied a golden throne, reserved only for the Royal Family, which always earned Ty Lee and Azula some... strange looks, to say the least.

Along with the expulsion of her old, cruel masters, Zuko revoked Sonzin's criminalization of homosexuality and it was an implicit fact that the former Fire Nation Princess and her life-long friend were... more than that. However, a 100 years old stigma didn't disappear overnight and there were a lot of people contrary to hers and Ty Lee's relationship ("A disgrace to the Fire Nation", as the elder noblemen used to say). Still, that didn't discourage the Fire Lord from showing - whenever he could - all his support towards his sister and the former Kyoshi Warrior. Zuko saw how happy they made each other and that was all that mattered to him.

So, there they were, chatting about the past, reminiscing the good times when they were younger while waiting for the presentation to start. Izumi's battle would be the grand finale and the young Princess was currently talking shyly to some students of the Academy, who all seemed very happy to be in the Fire Nation heir's company. 

The demonstrations began and they were all... fine, a bit unimpressive if you ask Azula ("They are _kids,_ Azula." "Oh well, _I_ used to be a kid too! And-" "And now you're a cranky old lady." "Ty Lee's got a point, Azula" ). The battle moves were pretty basic and none of the firebenders seemed to be naturals like Azula was so many years ago. She didn't know how to feel about that (maybe it was a good thing that such high standards weren't held for students nowadays, but maybe not). 

Soon enough, Azula didn't need to worry about other kids' performance, because Izumi's name was announced, indicating her fight was next. 

Before stepping into the arena, Izumi ran to where they were all sitting and gave each of her family members a hug. 

"I am so proud of you, and your mother would be too." Zuko whispered in his daughter's ear, which immediately brought a smile to the girl's face. 

"Good luck, sweetie. You've got this!" Ty Lee kissed Izumi on top of her head, making sure not to mess her topknot, otherwise Azula would flip out.

"Alright, don't forget the -" Azula started, but Izumi's arms around her waist interrupted her. 

"Auntie, you're a great master, I already know everything I need to know." Now _that_ made Azula lose her train of thought. She hugged her niece a little tighter. 

The firebender master let go of the princess and winked at her. "Go kick some ass, kiddo." She said with a small hint of pride in her voice. 

And so Izumi did. The match didn't even last long enough to be properly appreciated; the other girl, a couple of years older than Izumi, was kicked out of the arena in less than ten minutes. The younger princess started with her offensive maneuvers, punching fire out of her hands. Izumi's opponent tried to resist, diffusing the element in other directions with circular motions, but it still wasn't enough. The Crown Princess kicked her way into her adversary's side of the ring, and when she was close enough to burn the girl and end the fight; she didn't. Instead, Izumi applied a few, decisive jabs to her rival's pressure pints, pushing her over the edge. The match was over. 

Azula couldn't hide the smug smile on her lips even if she tried and Ty Lee wasn't able to suppress her happy squeals; Zuko tried to cover his joy - for the sake of neutrality - but even him wasn't making such a good job. 

"Impressive, even for the Fire Lord's daughter." An annoying voice interrupted their little celebration. Azula turned to face the headmistress approaching Zuko and before she could retort with a snarky comment, a kid threw herself into Azula's arms. 

"What is it with you and hugging today, Zuzu?" The former Crown Princess tried to sound annoyed, but Izumi's short laugh ruined it. Untangling herself from her aunt, the eleven year old took a few steps back and bowed to her Master, her hands together in the traditional Fire Nation greeting for elders, the utmost sign of respect. 

"It was the honor of my life having you as my teacher, Sifu Azula." Izumi said, the joyous tone from before replaced by a serious, admiring one. Azula felt tears pricking her eyes due to the scene displayed before her. 

After everything she's done, after everything she's put some many people through, an innocent soul didn't love her _regardless_ ; Izumi loved her _because._ Izumi treasured her because of her strength and skills, loved her firebending, loved what she had accomplished in the last decade and a half. Azula felt so privileged that such a good being would even _want_ her help... She felt overwhelmed. 

Azula put one hand on Izumi’s shoulder and the other lifted her niece’s chin. 

“No, Izumi. It is the honor of _my life_ to have you as my niece and future ruler.” And with that, Azula hugged her apprentice and the tears rolled down her cheeks. She felt the eternal internal war within her silence, for the first time in forever. Azula held no more guilt, no more rage, no more hurt. Izumi had set her free. 

“Oh, is it a group hug? I want in!” Ty Lee said right before hugging them both. Azula rolled her eyes while Izumi laughed. “Zuko, c’mon! It’s a group hug.”

The Fire Lord seemed to be caught off guard, excusing himself from the conversation he was having with the headmistress. Zuko got closer to them but didn’t know what to do, so he just stood there, a bit awkward. That annoyed the former Crown Princess. 

“For Agni’s sake, Zuko.” His sister said while pulling him closer. The hug was messy (just like Izumi’s hair), but they made it work.

The small tears of happiness didn’t stop scrolling down her cheeks, but Azula realized - quite surprised - that she didn’t care if they made her seem weak. She didn’t care because _now_ the Fire Nation Princess was allowed a disheveled hair, and _now_ the firebenders in the Academy didn’t need to be perfect, and _now_ she could go on walks with her mom, and sit down near to her girlfriend and hug her family, in _peace_. 

Azula didn’t mind crying, because she had finally found what she’d spent her whole adult life searching; peace. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had a much sadder ending for this fic planned, but I didn't feel like making myself sad so I decided to write some more wholesome Aunt Azula content instead!! Hope you guys enjoyed it, lemme know your thoughts ❤️


End file.
